Classic misstake – Chapter 2, Strip 374

Anyway, misstakes can happen, and the Professor is just human, after all. Even the most experienced vampire hunters occasionally stick it where it doesn’t belong. That’s not to say, of course, that misstakes should be taken lightly – every misstake that can be avoided means one less nocturnal blood-sucker around (disclaimer: doesn’t work against mosquitoes. Nothing does.)

In hope to reduce the overal incidence of such tragic slip-ups, here’s a handy write-up you could print out on a small piece of paper and carry on your person at all times. The place you should be aiming for is exactly between:

– A point 9 cm to the left of the midsternal line (apex of the heart) – The seventh right sternocostal articulation – The upper border of the third right costal cartilage 1 cm from the right sternal line – And the lower border of the second left costal cartilage 2.5 cm from the left lateral sternal line.

To hammer the point home*, here’s a visual aid:

Take extra care to avoid any misstakes if you happen to encounter a vampire at their original resting place. That’d be a grave misstake.*

If you still have difficulty locating the right area, just take the Air Force approach: simply use more and bigger stakes to increase accuracy, regardless of collateral damage.

Important Disclaimer: The effectiveness of individual vampire fighting techniques depends completely on which movie you’re in. Don’t try to use a cross unless you’ve made sure you’re in an old movie.